HOUSTON - Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company — $39.5 billion — even as earnings for the last quarter of 2006 declined 4 percent.

Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for those gasoline prices to come down 30%. But wait, it might be too late! Oil prices have been rallying in anticipation of the "driving season" so why waste your time changing the prices anyway? All the muss and fuss to change signs, turn back pump counters .... it's all so laboriously difficult when you just know prices are going to go right back up again ....